MACBETH - CLASS ACT
Sun, 29 June 2003, 02:46 amDmac9 posts in thread
MACBETH - CLASS ACT
Sun, 29 June 2003, 02:46 amWhen: Preview 27 June 2003.
Where: Rechabites Hall.
I have been reluctant to post reviews, as I usually know one or two of the cast members in any production I see, (donÂ’t see many due imperatives of earning a living, children etc.) but plead exception in this case, and your indulgence, as I will not comment directly on the performances of those cast members I know well.
Of the ten or so productions of Shakespeare I have seen in my life most have been taxing on the intellect, and the bladder, including BellÂ’s productions. This is the most rewarding I have ever seen.
Mike McCallÂ’s MacBeth was powerful, and vulnerable, all menÂ’s ambitions and fears exorcised, and the chemistry with Angelique MalcolmÂ’s Lady MacBeth almost tactile (I was in the front row). There was not one weak link in the most seamless play I have ever seen in Perth.
I must give special mention to Steve Turner’s Malcolm. Learning of his father’s murder, his line “O, by whom?” punched me in the chest with the tragedy, pathos. I felt the guilt, as if I were bearing the news of the death of a loved one.
I had some small quibbles with the lighting and, as usual, male voices must work twice as hard as female voices in the Rechabites space to be heard, but I left as a very satisfied punter.
See it.
If you do and disagree, or think my review impartial, listen carefully; I do not care.
Dean McAskil
Thou mangled clay-brained haggard!
Where: Rechabites Hall.
I have been reluctant to post reviews, as I usually know one or two of the cast members in any production I see, (donÂ’t see many due imperatives of earning a living, children etc.) but plead exception in this case, and your indulgence, as I will not comment directly on the performances of those cast members I know well.
Of the ten or so productions of Shakespeare I have seen in my life most have been taxing on the intellect, and the bladder, including BellÂ’s productions. This is the most rewarding I have ever seen.
Mike McCallÂ’s MacBeth was powerful, and vulnerable, all menÂ’s ambitions and fears exorcised, and the chemistry with Angelique MalcolmÂ’s Lady MacBeth almost tactile (I was in the front row). There was not one weak link in the most seamless play I have ever seen in Perth.
I must give special mention to Steve Turner’s Malcolm. Learning of his father’s murder, his line “O, by whom?” punched me in the chest with the tragedy, pathos. I felt the guilt, as if I were bearing the news of the death of a loved one.
I had some small quibbles with the lighting and, as usual, male voices must work twice as hard as female voices in the Rechabites space to be heard, but I left as a very satisfied punter.
See it.
If you do and disagree, or think my review impartial, listen carefully; I do not care.
Dean McAskil
Thou mangled clay-brained haggard!
Richard II @ The Globe
Fri, 11 July 2003, 07:37 amWHAT: Richard II by William Shakespeare
WHERE: The Globe Theatre, London, England
WHEN: Thursday 10 July, 7:30pm (UK time)
I was loath to post any reviews about any of the myriad of shows I have seen/will be seeing in London, as writing a review of a show that 99.99% of the readers of this site are going to be unable to experience, with performers you are unlikely to see, is a little pointless. But this one is the exception.
Once in a while, you see a show that makes you realise why it is you love theatre, and it makes the tens, perhaps even hundreds of shows you go to, in search of that holy grail of great theatre worth every cent. For me, Les Mis (when I was 11, OK), Oleanna and Cloudstreet were the pinnacles of my theatre going life.
Above all these I place the Globe TheatreÂ’s current production of Richard II.
This, one of Shakespeare’s less frequently performed histories, is one I, and many other Shakespeare-nuts, have adored for many years for Richard’s exquisite speeches – ‘Of comfort no man speak’, ‘I wasted time, and now doth time waste me’ et al. To be honest, however, I have never really seen it performed in a way such that I really understood the characters and the choices they’ve made. I’ve only ever seen Richard played as an arrogant sod, who gets lyrical as soon as his head’s on the block, and who we are generally fairly pleased to be rid of.
Mark Rylance, the artistic director of the Globe, and player of the title character in this production, has finally, finally made me understand the source of Richard’s lyricism, and left me, and most others in the theatre tonight, weeping openly at his death. Rylance played Richard as a completely self-absorbed and indulged, but never for a moment intentionally arrogant or cruel, King, unable to grasp, even until his death, how his downfall happened. His hollow crown speech started as a joking dismissal of his deposal and dissolved into an almost childlike grief and incomprehension at what had happened to him. His handing over of the crown to Bolingbroke was almost unbearable to watch with its pathos. Gently grasping the hand of a ‘groundling’ – we punters standing in the yard before the stage – before being lead to prison was devastating. This whole time, however, his removal as King was completely justified and comprehensible. Amazing.
His Richard was exquisitely complimented by his Bolingbroke who never once showed cruelty towards Richard, but always sympathy and a desire to help him avert his inevitable end. His obvious compassion for Richard finally clarified for me BolingbrokeÂ’s reaction of disbelief at his murder.
This season at the Globe has been complimented by an almost-as-wonderful production of Richard III (all female, where Richard II was all male). I am waiting breathlessly for their production of Edward II, which I will be seeing in a few weeks.
Watching Shakespeare of any lesser quality than this from now on will be very, very difficult indeed.
(PS The reason I'm putting this on as a response to a Macbeth posting - in case anyone notices - is not a comment on that show's quality. There's just a little bug on the site that makes posting a review from scratch a little fiddly, often resulting in losing your original product. Being on unaccustomed metered internet use at the moment, I'm trying to minimise my time online. That is all.)
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WHERE: The Globe Theatre, London, England
WHEN: Thursday 10 July, 7:30pm (UK time)
I was loath to post any reviews about any of the myriad of shows I have seen/will be seeing in London, as writing a review of a show that 99.99% of the readers of this site are going to be unable to experience, with performers you are unlikely to see, is a little pointless. But this one is the exception.
Once in a while, you see a show that makes you realise why it is you love theatre, and it makes the tens, perhaps even hundreds of shows you go to, in search of that holy grail of great theatre worth every cent. For me, Les Mis (when I was 11, OK), Oleanna and Cloudstreet were the pinnacles of my theatre going life.
Above all these I place the Globe TheatreÂ’s current production of Richard II.
This, one of Shakespeare’s less frequently performed histories, is one I, and many other Shakespeare-nuts, have adored for many years for Richard’s exquisite speeches – ‘Of comfort no man speak’, ‘I wasted time, and now doth time waste me’ et al. To be honest, however, I have never really seen it performed in a way such that I really understood the characters and the choices they’ve made. I’ve only ever seen Richard played as an arrogant sod, who gets lyrical as soon as his head’s on the block, and who we are generally fairly pleased to be rid of.
Mark Rylance, the artistic director of the Globe, and player of the title character in this production, has finally, finally made me understand the source of Richard’s lyricism, and left me, and most others in the theatre tonight, weeping openly at his death. Rylance played Richard as a completely self-absorbed and indulged, but never for a moment intentionally arrogant or cruel, King, unable to grasp, even until his death, how his downfall happened. His hollow crown speech started as a joking dismissal of his deposal and dissolved into an almost childlike grief and incomprehension at what had happened to him. His handing over of the crown to Bolingbroke was almost unbearable to watch with its pathos. Gently grasping the hand of a ‘groundling’ – we punters standing in the yard before the stage – before being lead to prison was devastating. This whole time, however, his removal as King was completely justified and comprehensible. Amazing.
His Richard was exquisitely complimented by his Bolingbroke who never once showed cruelty towards Richard, but always sympathy and a desire to help him avert his inevitable end. His obvious compassion for Richard finally clarified for me BolingbrokeÂ’s reaction of disbelief at his murder.
This season at the Globe has been complimented by an almost-as-wonderful production of Richard III (all female, where Richard II was all male). I am waiting breathlessly for their production of Edward II, which I will be seeing in a few weeks.
Watching Shakespeare of any lesser quality than this from now on will be very, very difficult indeed.
(PS The reason I'm putting this on as a response to a Macbeth posting - in case anyone notices - is not a comment on that show's quality. There's just a little bug on the site that makes posting a review from scratch a little fiddly, often resulting in losing your original product. Being on unaccustomed metered internet use at the moment, I'm trying to minimise my time online. That is all.)
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